trade winds

American  

[trayd windz] / ˈtreɪd ˌwɪndz /

plural noun

singular

trade wind

1. tropical and subtropical winds that blow continuously toward the equator, from the northeast in the northern hemisphere and from the southeast in the southern hemisphere.

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trade winds Scientific  

/ trād /

1. Winds that blow steadily from east to west and toward the equator over most of the Torrid Zone. The trade winds are caused by hot air rising at the equator, with cool air moving in to take its place from the north and from the south. The winds are deflected westward because of the Earth's west-to-east rotation.

2. Compare antitrades

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Other Word Forms

• trade-wind adjective

Example Sentences

Researchers at Oregon Health & Science University have identified a previously unknown system inside cells that acts like internal "trade winds," rapidly carrying important proteins to the front edge of the cell.

From Science Daily • Apr. 1, 2026

El Nino can weaken consistent trade winds that blow east to west across the tropical Pacific, influencing weather by affecting the movement of warm water across this vast ocean.

From Barron's • Mar. 2, 2026

During the neutral phase, which is or soon will be in effect, the so-called trade winds rush from east to west along the equator.

From Los Angeles Times • May 12, 2024

Boats that miss their destination can be swept away by Atlantic trade winds and currents from east to west, drifting for months.

From Seattle Times • Apr. 16, 2024

Coming from the west, the Pacific trade winds hit the cold air from the Humboldt Current and are forced upward in a classic temperature inversion of the sort common in southern California.

From "1491" by Charles C. Mann